L'arbre silencieux
by SilentTrainConductor
Summary: With love comes happiness, right? An AU fic revolving around the RickEvy relation. But plenty of Jonathan to go around as well.
1. Prologue

L'arbre silencieux  
  
By: SilentTrainConductor   
  
My first Mummy fic, hope it's worth the read!  
  
What can one hope for?  
  
Love?  
  
Peace?   
  
Happiness?   
  
It's not so much a matter of hoping for  
  
Love.  
  
Peace.  
  
Happiness.   
  
More of a matter of choosing  
  
Love?  
  
Peace?  
  
Happiness?  
  
How can one obtain them all?  
  
Love.  
  
Peace.  
  
Happiness.  
  
This is where the hoping for begins.  
  
**~~**  
  
The flames flickered, filling the tomb with a dull light that achieved a greater feeling of despair. The princess hung back in the shadows not wanting to face the light that so held her father in his grave. She let no tears fall, she couldn't. It was such an effort to be in the room in itself, how could she hope to let herself cry? For the hardest choice she would have to make was on its way, or yet she was on her way to make it.   
  
A sudden noise caused the princess to turn her gaze away from her father's tomb. There next to the sarcophagus was a glossy-furred black jackal. The jackal didn't dare to take its gaze away from the princess, it was his time now. In her heart the princess knew it was her time to go, to let go and face her destiny. So she turned quickly and silently and left the tomb never returning until it was her time. It was then that princess tasted sweet, salty moisture on her lips; she put her hand to her face and allowed herself to feel her sorrow. For who knew when she would be able to show it again?  
  
**~~**  
  
The Medjai guard stood silently by the waterside, he thought about his failure in not being able to save the pharaoh. He knew what was coming from his love, rejection. It was his fault and his failure that had caused the murder of the pharaoh, perhaps if they had been there sooner…? He felt into his pocket for the seed he had found in Imothep's possession. Oddly he felt no evil within the seed, every time he fingered it he got a great feeling of happiness warming through his body. And so he held onto the seed not wanting such a feeling to end, but he knew it would have to.   
  
The guard heard footsteps behind him and he turned to see the princess walking towards him. He bowed slightly, not willing to let his eyes meet hers. The warm feeling was still there even though he no longer held the seed; however the guard hardly seemed to notice. The princess stood next to him, her presence gave off such heat to the guard that he wondered why he wasn't in the water by now. She began to speak, telling him the story of her visit to her father's tomb. The Medjai nodded hanging onto her every word, listening in for a clue to tell him she still loved him. She turned to him, her eyes dry and her face set, no smile on her face and no love. So the Medjai listened to her rejection of his love, telling him that she now had a duty for Egypt, and that their love will end.   
  
The Medjai nodded, not being surprised…it was his fault. So with seeing the acceptance from her former lover she turned and briskly walked away, not giving a look back. The Medjai silently wondered where her guards were, and again remembered his failure and his lost love. He pulled out the seed from the tiny pouch and gave it a light brush of his lips, and gave a small prayer to the gods for a second chance. Perhaps in the next life…? So the guard bent down to the earth and searched for the moistest peace of ground he could find and buried the seed, careful to not put it too close to the water. The warm feeling in his heart was gone, no happiness in his form, nor in his soul. He stood up carefully as to not disturb the patch of land and followed his former love's footsteps. Never looking back.   
  
To be continued…  
  
A/N How was that for an intro? Please send me feedback so I can know what to improve on. Or on if I should continue or not. Graci. 


	2. Chapter 1

L'arbre silencieux  
  
By: SilentTrainConductor  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The sun was bright, and the sky was clear without any clouds to be seen. There was a little girl panting heavily as she ran away from an older boy who could be seen chasing after her, in some sort of panic.   
  
"Evy! Evy! Are you out of your mind? Dad will kill us!" The girl merely turned her head and smiled mischievously as she kept on running, not saying a word, for talking may slow her down. The boy sighed as he saw that his sister wasn't paying any heeds towards his warnings, and who could blame her? She was usually the one telling him what not to do, even though he was the oldest…  
  
"Evy! You're wandering off! Too far this time! Dad will never see us!" The boy began to stumble a bit as he tripped over some objects in the sand, he then saw they were nearing the river, and he moaned inwardly. Now he knew *this* was too far, Dad was going to kill him... Then the boy saw it, a large tree in which its roots extended into the river, its trunk vast and huge and the leaves were various mixtures of green, dancing along with the slight breeze. It was definitely an odd sight to behold, there being no other tree nowhere near in plain sight. Of course there were various shrubs and bushes about…but no trees…well except for this one. It was definitely odd indeed.   
  
"Look Jonathan…I saw it from the site…isn't it beautiful? I just had to come…" Evy seemed to be mesmerized by the sight, her lips curled upwards with a smile, and her toes at their points as she walked towards the tree.  
  
"Well, I suppose it's nice enough…this is the coolest place in the desert I'll bet." Jonathan nodded towards the river as well as the shade of the tree. His eyes widened suddenly as he saw his sister stick her toes onto the tree and begin to pull her self upwards. "What the hell are you doing Evy!?"  
  
"Jonathan! No cursing!"  
  
"No-no cursing!?" Jonathan shrieked in disbelief. "You're climbing that damn tree and you're telling me not to curse!? Get down from there! You're going to get yourself killed!"   
  
"Don't be silly, I won't fall." Evy finally stopped her climb as she made it to the top and settled in between the branches. "Oh, look Jonathan, a little flower bud." She tickled it with her pinky, slightly hoping it would bloom, but received no reaction. She pouted a bit on how the bud dared not to open, but she wasn't about to pry it open, she knew these things took time.   
  
"Evy…" Jonathan began but was interrupted by his sister's giggles.  
  
"Oh you silly, just come on up here, unless you're a chicken…" Evy taunted and shook the tree's branches a bit allowing leaves to flutter to the ground below.  
  
"I rather be a live chicken than a dead one!" Jonathan shot back, not willing to be taunted by his younger sister. But Evy continued to smile shrugging her shoulders as she did so, looking away from Jonathan towards the river. Something caught her eye and she thought she could make out some sort of black dog on the other side of the river watching her. She raised her eyebrow a bit and then jumped slightly as she felt someone touch her arm.   
  
"Jonathan!" Evy cried breathing heavily, "You scared the life out of me!"  
  
"Did I now? That would explain the jackal." Evy turned her head slightly towards Jonathan who had a look of 'I know something you don't'.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Dad said in ancient Egyptian times jackals were sacred in that they looked after the dead. Funny though, I didn't know they came in black…" Jonathan mused staring at the blurry figure on the other side of the river, who was still watching them. Jonathan shivered slightly and pulled at Evy's arm. "Come on; let's go…I'm starting to feel a bit unsettled…" Evy nodded also sensing the change in the air, and how that the peaceful feeling was replaced by one of great anxiety and fear. And then it happened; it was so sudden it took a while before Evy knew what was happening. The branch that held Jonathan snapped, Evy saw in slow motion as Jonathan's face changed from one of slight annoyance to one of horror, and she reached out quickly hoping…no. Jonathan slipped by her fingers, she watched on how he stumbled before he got to the river. She heard the loud thump that was caused by Jonathan hitting his head against one of the branches, and the snaps of smaller branches breaking underneath him. Finally there came the loud splash of Jonathan's body hitting the water, and then silence.  
  
"JONATHAN!" Evy cried after finally finding her voice. She climbed down the tree as fast as she could, tripping every once in a while but didn't fall. She could hear a faint yelping and barking in the background but she ignored it hoping to find some sort of sign of her brother. "JONATHAN!" she cried once more, she then felt herself being pushed forcefully aside and saw her father jumping smoothly into the water. She cheered inwardly on how her father would always manage to save them, and continued to look for any sign of Jonathan or her father. She stopped breathing, thinking quickly, rewinding the events in her head, watching and waiting. She looked to the tree and silently cursed it for being so inviting. Then there was the sound she was waiting for, a gasp of air and the sputters of someone trying to push out water from their body…but she only heard one make the sound. She noticed how Jonathan was limp in her father's arms, a knot formed in her throat and she began to shake slightly. She moved out of her father's path as he made his way towards the bank.   
  
"Dad?" she questioned with a whisper. Her father climbed out of the water and sat Jonathan upright and began pounding frantically at Jonathan's back, who half-opened his eyes and sputtered out most of the water he drank. Jonathan then closed his eyes again and lay limply against his father.  
  
"Dad?" Evy questioned again with fear in her voice now that she saw her brother's actions, "Is he going to be all right?"   
  
"I hope so sweetheart, I really hope so." With that said he picked Jonathan up and walked back towards the camp, lowering his head towards that of Jonathan's nuzzling him and kissing his forehead. Evy sat back at the bank still shocked at how quickly everything went, she looked towards the river and saw the jackal slowly fade away, already the sun set and the jackal's fur blended well against the darkness.  
  
"Evy!" her father's voice broke through the silence. "Come on then! Hurry now!" he cried and Evy could sense the fear in his voice so she stood up and quickly hurried after her father, not wanting another look and that so-called loving tree.  
  
**~~**  
  
Jonathan was being caressed by his mother who was rubbing her thumb against his forehead and bombarding him with sweet kisses. Jonathan merely accepted each one, he was too tired to resist as he usually did. Jonathan and Evy had already received their lectures and their parents promised they would be punished, but not today, maybe tomorrow, they had enough excitement for today. Jonathan noticed how Evy sat alone away from the camp; her back turned away from the rest of them. So Jonathan pried himself away from his mother and made his way over to his sister.   
  
"Hello." He started quietly, he never being one to enjoy awkward silences.   
  
"Hello." She answered back, that was when Jonathan knew she had been crying, she always slurred her vowels and forgetting her consonants so her 'hello' became 'eo'.  
  
"That was some ride huh?" he eased into the conversation lightly, hoping not to get Evy riled up, of course…  
  
"Oh Jonathan! You could've died because of me! You warned me and-and I-I-" she began to sob gently and Jonathan rubbed his hand against her back.  
  
"Now, now, it was my choice to get up on that tree. It was better me than you anyway Evy. At least you had enough sense to not jump in after me; we both would've been in that river drowning if it was you who fell. Can't have that can we?" Evy shook her head slowly sniffling as she did so. "We would've been to chickens clucking for our life in that river." Evy smiled slightly which allowed Jonathan to brighten up as well, and than Evy let out a giggle.  
  
"Jonathan that made no sense…"  
  
"Do I ever make any sense?" Jonathan smiled and knocked his head gently against Evy's own head.  
  
"You have a point…" Evy smiled wiping her tears away with her sleeve and then brought Jonathan into a hug. "Thank you." She whispered and let back on her hug as she felt something poking oddly out of his chest. She looked at it and noticed an octagonal shaped protruding from his shirt.  
  
"What's that?" she asked, Jonathan looked surprised for a bit on how quickly her curiosity took over her.   
  
"What? This?" Jonathan pulled out the object from the inside of his shirt and then shrugged. "Dad gave it to me, since he already had enough to take to the museum one little souvenir wouldn't hurt." Evy swiped it from her brother's hands.  
  
"Hey! That's mine!" he whined. Evy turned the figure around and noticed little ancient Egyptian inscriptions all over the object and noticed how it had little clasps on the side, and try as she might she couldn't get it open. Evy sighed and handed it back to Jonathan.   
  
"Dad would've never given you that." Jonathan nodded knowing his sister would figure out the truth.   
  
"I found it half buried in the sand before I gave chase to you, I'm surprised it managed to stay inside of my shirt and not fly out, especially after falling out of the tree. So, do I have to give it back to Dad?" Evy smiled at how Jonathan seemed to always ask her what was right or wrong. But this time Evy shook her head.   
  
"No, you don't." Jonathan raised his eyebrow in question and Evy didn't dare look at him, 'This is for him' she thought. "I'll let it slide this time." Evy gave a small wink and Jonathan grinned happily at getting to keep his treasure. "But-!" Evy raised her finger "Only *this* time…"  
  
**~~**  
  
To be continued…  
  
Thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter, and I'll be sure to answer any unanswered questions in the later chapters ^^ Please let me know on what to improve on and what you thought of this chapter. Thanks very much so!! 


	3. Chapter 2

L'arbre silencieux  
  
By: SilentTrainConductor  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Evy! Help me with these bags would you?" Jonathan cried holding up two bags from each hand, not looking up from the back seat of his car. He then shifted one of the bags to the other hand and pulled out another bag. "This one too if you please." Evy rolled her eyes and smiled.  
  
"You can do it yourself Jonathan, really now. Besides why do we need any of that junk you have there?" Evy gave a wisp of her hand towards the bags filled with overflowing objects that couldn't seem to stay inside.   
  
"Not junk my dear baby sister!" Jonathan sat himself upright on the front seat of the parked car. "This is my treasure, which will soon make us both rich. Of course me richer than you, since after all *I* found them…" Jonathan nodded his head as if stating the obvious and buried his head into one of the larger bags. Evy merely gave a click of her tongue and looked around. It had been fifteen long years since she came to this place. It was the last time she went with her parents on a dig site, for just the following month they were…  
  
"Evy! Look at this and tell me, no *really* tell me that this is junk." Jonathan held up a small cat statue with one of its ears chopped off, and with its nose gone as well.   
  
"Jonathan…" Evy sighed with great exasperation, "You bought that at the bazaar just one week ago, how is that going to make you any money?"  
  
"Well see, I figure that most people don't know that. Add a little dust; make it look like it is…"  
  
"Oh just shut up Jonathan." Jonathan looked surprised at the remark and quickly hopped out of the vehicle he had bought with one of his pieces of junk.   
  
"Now, now old mum. You don't go about telling people to shut up." Jonathan walked over to her and tried to look her in the eye, but Evy kept shifting her gaze. "Oh come on Evy, what's the matter?"  
  
"Nothing Jonathan." Evy moaned pitifully as she turned to face her older sibling. "Its-its just that-that…"  
  
"That-that?" Jonathan repeated, slightly mocking her to let the frustration get the better of her and spill it all out.   
  
"…I miss mum and dad…" she finally managed to squeak out. She then again turned her gaze away from her brother, embarrassed at letting her brother find out. Jonathan cocked his head and didn't know what to make of her statement.  
  
"That's it?"   
  
"What do you mean that's it!? Isn't it enough?"   
  
"I didn't mean it that way…it's well just that, I already *knew* that. For fifteen years as a matter a fact, I thought you had gotten pregnant and didn't know who the father was or something." Jonathan commented with a wry smile. Evy glared at her brother and slapped him on the arm.  
  
"Oooh! Just like you Jonathan, always making a mockery out of my feelings!" Evy huffed as she began picking up her hat from inside the car. She quickly put it on and began to walk off. Jonathan protested trying to get an apology in.   
  
"Evy! We just got here! I don't need you to start wandering off!" Evy didn't answer merely continued to go on the path she felt was calling her. A path away from any sort of Jonathans…  
  
**~~**  
  
"O'Connell pass some more water over here." A tiny wiry man complained as he staggered across the desert sand. The man who walked in front of him rolled his eyes and continued on without blinking. "O'Connell!" the voice persisted. Suddenly the man turned on him and held out the canteen upside down for the man to see.  
  
"No more Beni, thanks to you." Rick O'Connell muttered and tossed the canteen behind Beni's head.   
  
"No more? I'm going to diiiee…" Beni whimpered under his breath, " not only that I'm going to die in the middle of the desert…" his voice faded away still going on but not really forming any words. Suddenly Beni stopped and pointed towards Rick.  
  
"It's your fault! You just had to save that guy back there, only to have him die anyways! Now we're stuck here…about to die, when we could at least be back with our troop in our cozy little tents…" Beni managed to shriek out in less than 15 seconds, flailing about and kicking sand all around him.   
  
"Are you done?" Beni merely nodded trying to get the sand out of his eyes he himself placed there. "Good. I see a river just up ahead, you coming?" Beni's eyes lit up at the comment.   
  
"A River? A river means water. Water means people…people means *my* salvation!" Beni raised his arms in a slight cheer and pulled at Rick's sleeves, like a child waiting to open his gifts. Seeing as how Rick wasn't budging he ran off to the river himself, leaving Rick behind in a wind of sand.   
  
"Beni! Get back here! Oh…BENI!" Rick went off following the over enthusiastic bonhomme who had managed to fill every part of his body with sand.  
  
Beni in the mean time, was rushing towards the river when he noticed a tree and a human figure kneeling next to it. He squinted a bit trying to get the sun out of his eyes and neared the river, hoping the cool water would expel such a mirage. Like there would actually be one tree in the middle of no where.   
  
"Beni." Rick finally managed to catch up to Beni and put his arm around his shoulders and Beni merely looked up at him and smiled weakly.   
  
"O'Connell! I was-was just enjoying the view." He nodded towards the tree and the kneeled figure, not expecting Rick to know what he was talking about.   
  
"Hello…? Now there's a sight for sore eyes, guess you were right about there being people here Beni. Good job. Now if we can just get his attention…" The figure hearing voices stood up and raised a hand over her eyes to make the vision clearer, a while later the figure waved. Beni quickly waved back and eagerly made way to cross the river, but Rick just as quickly stopped him. "You idiot, you don't know how deep it is." Rick himself made way to the river, and somehow he managed to trip over Beni's feet and land face down into the river with a deafening splash.   
  
**~~**  
  
"Oh dear!" Evy cried on the other side of the river placing a hand over her mouth but her anxieties were put at ease when the man who fell in resurfaced moments later, sputtering and hacking out water. The man next to him was laughing and pointed towards the fallen man.  
  
"Thanks for checking for me, O'Connell!" The man continued to snicker snidely, and Evy could hardly hear what they were saying, and so she waved her arm about in the air again.   
  
"Hello? Are you gentlemen all right? Do you need anything? We have some food-" The wet man was making his way towards her and Evy couldn't help but blush as she noticed his well-built figure as he came closer. "And some-some water…"  
  
"No thanks ma'am, I think I had enough." The man gave her a cocky smile and held out his hand. "Rick O'Connell. Pleasure." Evy let Mr. O'Connell take hold of his hand and as they held hands she could feel a warm sensation creeping up her body, she shivered at the sudden emotion and let go of his hand as quickly as she could muster. Mr. O'Connell frowned a bit and looked at his hand.  
  
"I know it's a bit wet, I was just trying to be friendly." He shrugged at not seeming surprised at her response and turned towards the other side of the river. Evy raised her eyebrow a bit and shook her head, trying to explain her actions.  
  
"Oh no Mr. O'Connell! Please, don't take it that way. It's just that when I touched you, I felt…"  
  
"What disgusted? Look lady, let me get my buddy over there and we can head out." Mr. O'Connell went over to the bank of the river and stuck two fingers in his mouth and gave out a long whistle. "Hurry it up Beni!" he yelled out and the other's response was merely a growl as he was paddling towards the other side just about reaching the river bank. Evy huffed and made her way to stand a bit behind him and tapped him forcefully on the back. Rick turned with a bored look on his face and waited patiently for Evy to start.   
  
"Now Mr. O'Connell! Here I was trying to explain and you-you jump to conclusions! Not letting me get one word in! You are worse than my brother!" Evy poked him on his chest and was leaning onto her finger, wanting more pressure going to that one place showing how she was being completely serious. "Now, I cannot allow two men of your current state to continue wandering aimlessly around the desert, I will supply you with food and whatever else you need until we're ready to head back to Cairo, where we can drop you off, is that understood?" Rick nodded his head slowly with an astonished smile upon his face. "Wonderful!" Evy cried having gotten his response, and clasped her hands together pleased. "We could always use an extra pair of hands around…" Beni looked to his own hands, noticing how she had just mentioned one pair…he smiled and stuck his hands into his coat pockets. Evy then turned briskly on her way to tell Jonathan of their guests. Beni saw how Rick was staring behind her not moving a muscle, and Beni rolled his eyes. O'Connell always had more balls than brains…Beni then turned his gaze towards the tree and smiled when he saw a little flower peeking out of a majestic looking bud, it seemed to be supported by the whole tree.   
  
"Now that's going to be one pretty little flower." Beni motioned towards the tree but Rick didn't look away nor did he wipe the goofy grin from his face.   
  
"She already is…" he whispered and Beni rolled his eyes again and began muttering to himself as he grew frustrated and made way to follow their savior. "Wait a minute…" Rick called out, "Who did she mean by *we*…?"  
  
**~~**  
  
Oh thanks to the reviwers!  
  
Snowfire the Kitsune: Kitsune is fox right? Anyway I thank you for putting me on your favorites and reviewing for both chapters of my fic! I'm glad you have enjoyed both of them and one can only hope you enjoyed this one as well! Thank you also for being my first reviewer for this story!! ^___^  
  
eyesonly: Thank you for your wonderful comments and I hope you continue your fic as well! It's getting very exciting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!  
  
toni-isis: I want to thank you for getting me motivated on completing this chapter faster than I actulally would have ^^ Thank you for your comments and I also hope to see more of your fic as well ^___^ 


	4. Chapter 3

L'arbre silencieux

By: SilentTrainConductor

**_Dedicated to: Lucky Fannah_**

**Chapter 4**

Jonathan sat in his automobile, as he liked to call it, and drank from his flask he held which contained his favorite kind of drink. Might as well take advantage of the fact that Evy wasn't around, she hated it when he drank. As he was sipping he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his first little treasure he received when he was...how old? 15? 16? No matter, important thing was that Evy of all people had let him keep it. He guessed he was just a bit insensitive towards Evy's feelings towards their dead parents, after all he felt the pain too.

This site had once been a regular visit for the Carnahan family, always looking for something that could help locate the lost city of Hamunaptra. Jonathan sighed as he could make out the outline of Thebes, and he remembered how this was his mother's favorite site, on account on it was Nefretiti's secret chamber room. It was pretty far off from other sites, Jonathan mused. He wondered what she had to hide...perhaps this little object...? Jonathan continued to turn the object in his hands, not really looking at it, it was more of a...how you say...reflex. And after 15 years of turning, looking for the objects secret, his mind's wanderings finally allowed him access to the secrets within his treasure. As he turned it with in his hand he heard a click and out came eight pointed edges from the object, revealing inside a folded sheet of paper.

Jonathan looked around him, half expecting some sort of disaster to strike, but none came and so he looked back to the folded sheet of paper. He unfolded the paper and his breath caught as he noticed the lines and scribbles and small drawings all over the page. A map. He continued to look at it, and he figured, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed Evy's help to decipher it. Wait...he remembered this symbol...he would never have forgotten it. Hamunaptra. His eyes widened and he looked at it again, yes he was sure of it! His father had shown him the symbol enough times...He quickly looked around and noticed Evy's approaching figure, just in time! He jumped out of his automobile and quickly ran towards Evy waving his arms about with the map in on hand.

"EVY!"

_ooo_

Evy raised her eyebrow at Jonathan's enthusiasm. What in the world...? She turned to look at her new companions; each with a puzzled look on their face, except Mr. O'Connell's was more, what? Disappointed? Wonder why?

"Evy!!" Jonathan cried again and he roped Evy into his grasp and began pelting her with kisses on her forehead. O'Connell turned his gaze away, obviously uncomfortable with the scene. Evy scrunched up her nose.

"Jonathan, have you been drinking?" Jonathan shook his head, another one of his reflexes. And he began pointing to one of the objects in his hand, an old parchment it looked like, and that's when Jonathan caught sight of Evy's two companions and he quickly tried to hide the paper away from their peering eyes.

"Oh, hello, who are these good chaps?" Jonathan questioned, rocking on his heels the best he could in sand. Evy kept her eyebrow raised and motioned with her hand.

"This here is Beni---"She left it hanging so Beni could perhaps reveal his last name, but no response came. Beni reached out his hand hesitantly and Jonathan shook it vigorously and then turned his sight onto O'Connell who was giving him a death glare. Jonathan shrank back a bit at the stare but managed to shake his hand as Evy introduced him as well.

"Right. Well, nice to meet you all." Jonathan commented as he let go of Rick's hand and then turned to Evy. "A word Evy?" Evy nodded curious to see what got her brother all riled up...although she was still mad at him, her curiosity overcame her anger.

"Excuse us gentlemen." Rick's eyebrow rose at the 'gentlemen' part but kept quite and merely nodded. So Evy turned and walked towards her brother.

"What is it?" she hissed with more venom than she wanted to show. Jonathan ignored the tone and shoved the paper into her sister's hands and Jonathan then turned to the two l legionnaires and waved to them while Evy read the parchment.

"Jonathan...this...this...is...is..."

"I know." He whispered with a smile.

"Oh Jonathan!!" Evy laughed lightly and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek. "We finally found it!!"

_ooo_

Rick glanced at the pair and wondered why life always gave him the dead ends. They certainly seemed to be happy; he should've known she would've been with someone already. But still what did she see in that guy? Beni was shuffling in the sand and was muttering to Rick, but as usual Rick wasn't listening. He watched as Evy smiled and gave, Jonathan was it? A peck on the cheek, if only he could hear what they were saying...

_ooo_

"Where did you find this?" Evy questioned still in awe, after so many years, they had finally found it! Jonathan smiled at his sister's rise in spirits and showed her the treasure she let him keep all those years ago.

"Your...Your puzzle box?" She asked with a smile. "I didn't even know you still had this Jonathan." Her smile turned into a frown, as she turned the box over in her hand. "We should have given this to our parents, it would not haven taken them 15 years to open the box." Jonathan gaped at her.

"Evy..." He started with a disbelieving chuckle, "I do think you can lecture some other time." Evy raised her eyebrow at him and smirked. Jonathan then looked up nervously and whispered in Evy's ear. "Are those two to be trusted?" Evy followed Jonathan's gaze, her brow furrowed in confusion, and her hand flew to her mouth as she realized she forgot about the two French legionnaires.

"Oh dear! I am dreadfully sorry! I was distracted and..." Rick broke her off with a raise of a hand and a smile.

"It's all right," he nodded towards Jonathan, "I understand." Jonathan blinked and allowed a few seconds to register what Rick meant by that. He then began laughing at the tone in which the legionnaire said it, dejected and rejected.

"No wonder you are so sour towards me." Jonathan chuckled, his eyes glistening in amusement.

"What?" Evy asked. "What do you mean?" Not at all catching what Jonathan managed to. Jonathan was still beside himself in laughter and wrapped his arm about his sister neck, and noticed Rick's face flush with anger.

"He thinks, old mum, that you and I are together." Jonathan snickered. Evy was about to say something in response, but thought better of it, and looked towards Rick.

"You thought my brother and I...?" Rick cleared his throat and pointed to the map Evy so casually held in her hands.

"So, what's that?"

_ooo_

**A/N: **Long time no see, eh? Some of you may be thinking of the puzzle box, wasn't that found in Hamunaptra in the movie? Well yes it was. This is AU, and plus I always found it odd why a map led you to a place you were already at. scratches head In any case here are thanks to those who reviewed. I am sorry for my absence from this fic, and if this chapter didn't live up to the others.

**Toni Isis:** :chuckles: Well I guess this isn't really soon, but at least I updated d As I hope you will with your stories -

**Snowfire the Kistune:** Thank you, Thank you for your confidence, and I am sorry I took so long in getting this chapter up, but I have. I am glad to see you have a Mummy fic of your own up. Thank you!

**One obsessed about Egypt**: I am truly glad you liked! I only hope this chapter didn't come too late. And I hope it is still an ok story. Thank you muchly :D!

**Lucky Fannah:** I have you to thank for this chapter. And I thank you very much for your review. It let me know that some one was still interested in it. I was going to let it die and wither in peace, but thanks to you I have brought it back. I only hope the story is still ok as well as the characters. Thank you muchly hug


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